He Wasn't
by chramozoner
Summary: My take on Shippou's thoughts concerning Kagome. Yes. Shippou thinks, too.


He wasn't a kid

AN: None of the characters in here belong to me. I'm borrowing them. No sue.

Story Title: He Wasn't

Author: chramozoner

Rating: K

Category: Romance/Angst

Summary: My take on Shippou's thoughts concerning Kagome.

--

He wasn't a kid.

Yes, he looked like one, and took care to act like one, especially in front of her.

But he wasn't.

"Shippou! Let's go now!" the energetic, cheerful, gentle voice, all meshed together into one wonderful person.

"Coming!" he chirped, bouncing up and ready to latch onto her back again.

He ignored the older hanyou's annoyed expression and instead breathed in her wonderful smell. The smell of what she called 'shampoo' mixed with sweat and the natural scent of females. Alluring. That's what she was.

But she would never be his.

He didn't miss the glances she threw at the white haired hanyou, nor the quick turn of her head when Inuyasha was close to noticing. His hands fisted in her hair, and, realizing that, he took care to put his hands on the fold of green fabric on her neck instead.

She would never notice, anyway.

Suddenly, her bright, warm voice broke into his thoughts, "Look, a village!" It looked like a normal village. Smelt like one, too. But everyone were still on their guard, anyway. It pays to be careful.

A middle-aged man greeted them as they entered the village. He seemed to be the leader, and had a weather beaten face of a farmer. However his wasn't gaunt, like the leader of the previous village had been. Some villagers were also glancing at them in the standard apathetic attitude mixed with mild curiosity. In the hard times, one just doesn't have a lot of energy to be warm and welcoming.

The leader nodded at them, then turned around. The oddly sorted group followed after him silently. Arriving at a hut, he gestured clearly and, speaking for the first time, stated that they would provide some dinner after they exterminated the bothering pest.

He wondered briefly how the man could have known them, then shrugged it off. News from the last village probably traveled to here. Miroku and Sango were already ready to investigate while Inuyasha, glancing briefly at Kagome, told her to stay back. She had demanded the reason for the sudden change of plans, protesting, "But we always do it together!"

Inuyasha turned away, "You aren't fully recovered from last time, are you?"

So he'd noticed. Kagome looked down slightly, and suddenly, he wished that he had said that first. Then, maybe he could have gotten that look of mock anger over faint traces of happiness.

Right. Like that'd ever happen.

He piped up, "I'll protect you, Kagome."

She smiled and ruffled his hair, like she always did. He wish she wouldn't do that.

But then again, it was one of the things he couldn't help but take advantage of. Like also seeking chances for her to hug him. To whisper comforting words to him, when all he wanted was to hear her voice speaking for him, and for him only.

He sighed and leaned against her side as they waited for the rest of them to finish up on their business. It was over quickly. Apparently the youkais here were of the lower kind. Typical.

It was near nighttime when they had gathered themselves into the little hut to sleep. He felt kind of odd, sleeping in the same place where the youkais they'd exterminated had dwelled not three hours ago, but soon dismissed the feeling. Even if he couldn't protect her, Inuyasha always could. No matter how much that thought stung, it was reassuring nonetheless.

He curled up against her, feeling her body heat against him. He really just wished that he could be closer. Infinitely closer.

"Inuyasha," she murmured in her dreams.

He glanced up at her face, and was once again struck by the familiar feeling of loss. He was so close to her. So close.

Yet, at the same time, he had never felt so alone.

--

Author's Note: This is the first time that I've considered writing in Shippou's point of view (but really, does _anyone_ write in his point of view?). I've got to say, it was quite interesting, though. And I've also got to thank Sandra E for her story Chasing Methuselah. The idea just popped in my head after reading her fic. I'm just wondering, does this little one-shot of mine strike anyone as having an extremely unsatisfactory ending? (If so, I'm sorry!) I just felt like, well, how can Shippou be like a kid all the time? He would have lived for probably as long as Kagome, if not longer, to have grown that size. It's just weird how he stays like a kid all the time. (Or maybe youkais mature slower?)

But anyway, thanks for reading this extremely short one-shot with and extremely long author's note.


End file.
